INTERVIEW: Steve Taylor on the Sky Blues' preparation ahead of League Two opener

The Sky Blues made it two pre-season victories on the bounce last night with a 1-0 win over Mickleover Sports....

A side made up of mostly under-23 players took to the field at the Don Amott Arena with Jordan Ponticelli scoring the only goal of a impressive performance.

Mark Robins, along with his assistant Steve Taylor, watched on as U18s coach Jason Farndon took the side.

“Coming to a non-league ground and playing against a side like this is a really good learning curve for the lads,” said Taylor.

“I think the lads approached the game brilliantly and were deserved winners.

“We thought that we could get a full training week in for the first team and the squad players which we have done and I think this is a great game for the young lads to come in and play.

“It does not do any harm to go out and play non-league football. Academy football is great but tonight is real football for them.

“They have faced two centre forwards who just want to run in behind all the time. Reece Ford and Jordan Thompson have dealt brilliantly with that. It has been a pleasing performance from the young lads.

“I think we look at all the kids and think that they could play a part in the upcoming season and step up to the challenge.”

After a disappointing defeat to Barnsley last week, the Sky Blues have turned their pre-season fortunes around defeating League One side MK Dons before making it back-to-back wins last night.

“I think pre-season has been really good with the games that we have had. Sutton away are the kind of outfit that we will be coming up against every week in League Two and the players dealt with that well.

“A lot of what we have put on the training ground the players have bought into and I thought they did it really well. MK Dons were a good test.

“Then we played against Valenciennes in Spain who were an opposition who got into pockets of space and we had to work it out for ourselves, and we did.

“Barnsley was one that we realised we had to learn from quickly and we did by the time we played MK Dons. So long may that continue."

Looking ahead to the Sky Blues' next outing in the Nuneaton Town tournament against the hosts and a Liverpool XI, Taylor gave an insight into the players who may feature.

“Over the weekend we will probably mix the squads up. It is all about getting the 90 minutes into the players legs so we will play one team against Liverpool and one team against Nuneaton,"

He added: “There is a very good feel factor about the club at the minute and that goes right down to the lads you see tonight and we want to keep that going.”